Zero Dark Thirty; Lincoln; A Good Day to Die Hard; For Ellen
From the moment columnist Naomi Wolf compared Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Academy award for best director) to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (no, really), it was clear that Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Universal, 15) was never going to get a sensible hearing. Claims that this gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden somehow justified or endorsed torture were fuelled by stories of CIA co-operation, stories that the intelligence agency promptly debunked in an attempt to distance itself from harrowing scenes of water-boarding, humiliation and worse.
Yet, as Bigelow and writer Mark Boal point out, if you watch the film (rather than read the hysterical press), you'll find no evidence that "harsh tactics" produce anything other than rotten results. Indeed, the great irony of Zdt's complex narrative is that the CIA is too busy putting the...
From the moment columnist Naomi Wolf compared Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Academy award for best director) to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (no, really), it was clear that Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Universal, 15) was never going to get a sensible hearing. Claims that this gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden somehow justified or endorsed torture were fuelled by stories of CIA co-operation, stories that the intelligence agency promptly debunked in an attempt to distance itself from harrowing scenes of water-boarding, humiliation and worse.
Yet, as Bigelow and writer Mark Boal point out, if you watch the film (rather than read the hysterical press), you'll find no evidence that "harsh tactics" produce anything other than rotten results. Indeed, the great irony of Zdt's complex narrative is that the CIA is too busy putting the...
- 6/8/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
When we first meet Joby (Paul Dano), he is driving on snow-covered rural roads. His long black hair, make-up and clothing all suggest that Joby might be in some sort of heavy metal band. When Joby stops at a gas station to touch up his make-up, we can only assume that he is on his way to a concert. Instead he drives up to a modest business office where his wife (Margarita Levieva) is waiting with her lawyer to finalize their divorce paperwork. From that opening sequence, we know full well that writer-director So Yong Kim's (In Between Days, Treeless Mountain) portrayal of Joby is not going to be the standard cinematic stereotype of a heavy metal musician. Joby is an intriguing character study of a walking and talking contradiction: equally conceited-yet-vulnerable, awkward-yet-charismatic, thoughtful-yet-dumb. Joby may have chosen the life of an absentee husband and father for several years...
- 2/24/2013
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Side By Side | A Good Day To Die Hard | Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God | Beautiful Creatures | This Is 40 | For Ellen | Run For Your Wife | Reign Of Assassins | Sammy's Great Escape | Andrea Bocelli: Love In Portofino | Madame De… | Murder 3
Side By Side (15)
(Christopher Kenneally, 2012, Us) 99 mins
Celluloid versus digital film-making – hardly a blockbuster proposition, but this surprisingly fascinating documentary makes you think twice about how movies are made, and seen. It also gives you a rare audience with the top technicians and film-makers out there (Scorsese, Cameron, Lucas, Nolan, Von Trier, Lynch, etc), while host Keanu Reeves keeps things informal and accessible.
A Good Day To Die Hard (12A)
(John Moore, 2013, Us) Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney. 98 mins.
Old dog Willis does no new tricks in this tiresomely cacophonous action movie, which brings in new pup Courtney for a father-son ass-kicking.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God...
Side By Side (15)
(Christopher Kenneally, 2012, Us) 99 mins
Celluloid versus digital film-making – hardly a blockbuster proposition, but this surprisingly fascinating documentary makes you think twice about how movies are made, and seen. It also gives you a rare audience with the top technicians and film-makers out there (Scorsese, Cameron, Lucas, Nolan, Von Trier, Lynch, etc), while host Keanu Reeves keeps things informal and accessible.
A Good Day To Die Hard (12A)
(John Moore, 2013, Us) Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney. 98 mins.
Old dog Willis does no new tricks in this tiresomely cacophonous action movie, which brings in new pup Courtney for a father-son ass-kicking.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God...
- 2/16/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
So Yong Kim's new film features a bravura turn from Paul Dano as a deadbeat dad. The Korean-American director talks to Andrew Pulver about the echoes with her own life
If you know So Yong Kim's work at all, chances are you will have her pigeonholed as an archetypal Sundance director with a penchant for investigating her own displaced and fatherless life story. Her first two films, In Between Days (2006) and Treeless Mountain (2008) were studies of, respectively, a teenage Korean girl grappling with a new life in Canada, and two young Korean girls seemingly abandoned by their parents. They won a clutch of festival awards, including a Sundance special jury prize.
But now Kim has made a third film, and it couldn't be more of a U-turn. It's called For Ellen, and is about a stumbling, slurring rock'n'roller, complete with chipped black nail varnish, on the skids and far from home,...
If you know So Yong Kim's work at all, chances are you will have her pigeonholed as an archetypal Sundance director with a penchant for investigating her own displaced and fatherless life story. Her first two films, In Between Days (2006) and Treeless Mountain (2008) were studies of, respectively, a teenage Korean girl grappling with a new life in Canada, and two young Korean girls seemingly abandoned by their parents. They won a clutch of festival awards, including a Sundance special jury prize.
But now Kim has made a third film, and it couldn't be more of a U-turn. It's called For Ellen, and is about a stumbling, slurring rock'n'roller, complete with chipped black nail varnish, on the skids and far from home,...
- 2/12/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
With his broad, serious face and lanky body, Paul Dano has always played the kinds of finely tuned characters that pop out for their intensity, from a black-haired, mostly silent 16-year-old in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine to a screaming evangelical preacher, and his twin brother, in 2007’s There Will Be Blood. He’s also proved himself to be neurotically funny, as he was in this year’s romantic comedy Ruby Sparks.
But 28-year-old Dano has rarely played a dad on film (he adopts a baby in 2008’s Gigantic), much less the deadbeat rocker dad starring role he takes on in...
But 28-year-old Dano has rarely played a dad on film (he adopts a baby in 2008’s Gigantic), much less the deadbeat rocker dad starring role he takes on in...
- 10/17/2012
- by Solvej Schou
- EW - Inside Movies
“Paul Dano… is a wonder of an actor. [In For Ellen] Dano’s often impassive face lets us see all the layers of confusion beneath.” . Caryn James, James on Screens/Indiewire.
Now In Theaters and On Demand, For Ellen is the story of a struggling musician (Paul Dano – There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) who takes an overnight long-distance drive in order to fight his estranged wife for custody of their young daughter.
Tribeca Film and Wamg invite you to enter to win a Poster from the movie For Ellen - signed by Paul Dano and director So Yong Kim. The film is currently available on nationwide On Demand and in select theaters.
For full listing information, visit: www.tribecafilm.com/forellen
Official Rules:
1. You Must Be A Us Resident. Prize Will Only Be Shipped To Us Addresses. No P.O. Boxes.
2. Fill Out Your Full Name (first and last) And Email Address Below.
Now In Theaters and On Demand, For Ellen is the story of a struggling musician (Paul Dano – There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) who takes an overnight long-distance drive in order to fight his estranged wife for custody of their young daughter.
Tribeca Film and Wamg invite you to enter to win a Poster from the movie For Ellen - signed by Paul Dano and director So Yong Kim. The film is currently available on nationwide On Demand and in select theaters.
For full listing information, visit: www.tribecafilm.com/forellen
Official Rules:
1. You Must Be A Us Resident. Prize Will Only Be Shipped To Us Addresses. No P.O. Boxes.
2. Fill Out Your Full Name (first and last) And Email Address Below.
- 10/10/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Want to see more? For Ellen is now available on nationwide VOD. Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) has wanted nothing more than to 'make it,' having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva: 'Revenge,' 'How To Make It In America') in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (newcomer Shaylena Mandigo). To keep up with all Tribeca videos - including trailers, behind the scenes, interviews, clips, and original content - subscribe to our YouTube channel today.
- 9/28/2012
- TribecaFilm.com
Title: For Ellen Director: So Yong Kim Starring: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Shaylena Mandigo, Margarita Levieva, Jena Malone A somewhat pedestrian and air-quote small story of blue-collar despair, familial fracturing and choking uncertainty, writer-director So Yong Kim’s mastery of tone and elements turns “For Ellen,” which premiered earlier this year in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, into a thing of tender, forlorn beauty. Anchored by a strong performance from Paul Dano, this wonderfully wrought character study is a spare, intimate treat that should find welcome reception with arthouse audiences. Struggling singer-songwriter Joby Taylor (Dano, quite good) takes a break from life on the road — and rather purposefully leaves behind girlfriend Susan [ Read More ]
The post For Ellen Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post For Ellen Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 9/27/2012
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Fans of Jon Heder know him best from raucous comedies like Napoleon Dynamite - his 2004 breakout hit - and Blades of Glory, in which he starred with Will Ferrell. In So Yong Kim's For Ellen, which debuts on nationwide VOD today, Heder switches gears, adding an understated bit of comic relief to this quiet drama about would-be rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) trying to connect with his young daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo) during an ugly divorce. Heder's character, Fred Butler, is an inexperienced lawyer who lives with his mother in a small town in upstate New York. He's initially a bit enthralled with what he sees as Joby's worldliness, but he soon realizes that his sheltered world is much more his speed. We caught up with Heder in Los Angeles, where he talked about his quirky character, his shift into independent drama, and his eventual plans to direct.
- 9/19/2012
- TribecaFilm.com
For Ellen, the latest film by acclaimed indie writer/director So Yong Kim, follows fledging musician Joby Taylor (an incredibly natural Paul Dano), who is coming off the road with his band to finalize his divorce from his estranged wife. Joby is selfish and flawed, but the audience cannot help but sympathize with him. Duped into signing a settlement that offers him a profit from the sale of the family home, Joby unwittingly forfeits his custody rights to his 6-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With little help from his ineffective small town lawyer (Jon Heder) and with the break-up of his band imminent, Joby is forced to question his unruly and listless rock ‘n' roll existence. Attempting to move on to the next phase in his life, Joby manages to negotiate a visit with his daughter to explore whether he can leave his child behind or finally become the father she needs.
- 9/5/2012
- TribecaFilm.com
Looking to reconcile her feelings about being a successful parent, wife and filmmaker with her child turning two, writer/director So Yong Kim decided to delve into the all too common reality that some only can do so when it is too late. Taking from her own experience growing up fatherless—only having ever seen him once at the age of five—her film For Ellen finds itself attempting to not decipher why someone would leave, but instead show the moment when ego and selfishness melt away to leave only the sorrow of the realization that returning is impossible. To have missed so much without but a second glance, the pain of finally discovering that love of a child can do nothing besides rip your heart out as you accept the fault that losing it was all your own.
An intriguing character study, the move to her father’s point...
An intriguing character study, the move to her father’s point...
- 9/4/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Fans of Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood), take note: the actor may have his best role yet in the upcoming For Ellen, which debuted earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. Starring as a self-absorbed musician, Dano seems to be in terrific form in the movie's first trailer, which doesn't exactly look like it's promising an upbeat story. The movie's synopsis doesn't seem less bleak.
Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Dano) has wanted nothing more than to "make it," having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva — Revenge, How To Make It In America) in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter,...
Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Dano) has wanted nothing more than to "make it," having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva — Revenge, How To Make It In America) in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter,...
- 8/19/2012
- by Ryan Gowland
- Reelzchannel.com
Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, we have the first trailer for So Yong Kim’s (Treeless Mountain) indie drama For Ellen.
Stemming from Kim’s desire to understand her own father, For Ellen follows aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) who, in the midst of a low period in his life, agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva).
He soon realises, however, that signing the papers means he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.
The new trailer looks very downbeat and slow but powerful nonetheless, and if nothing more it promises a deeply moving performance from Dano.
Stemming from Kim’s desire to understand her own father, For Ellen follows aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) who, in the midst of a low period in his life, agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva).
He soon realises, however, that signing the papers means he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.
The new trailer looks very downbeat and slow but powerful nonetheless, and if nothing more it promises a deeply moving performance from Dano.
- 8/17/2012
- by Charlie Derry
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In So Yong Kim's "For Ellen," Paul Dano stars as an aspiring rocker who agrees to sign divorce papers for his estranged wife in order to get money from the sale of their home, but then realizes his daughter is also part of the bargain and he will be forfeiting all parental rights to her. Kim ("Treeless Mountain," "In Between Days") debuted the film at Sundance 2012. Dano is joined by Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva and Shaylena Mandigo. Read More: Paul Dano's Best Performance Yet is in So Yong Kim's 'For Ellen' Eric Kohn reviewed the film at Sundance, declaring that, "Nobody else could fit the role of a crestfallen rocker that Paul Dano embodies in director So Yong Kim's remarkable 'For Ellen.' Kim's delicate feature takes the conventional deadbeat dad formula and rejuvenates it by letting Dano's naturalistic performance lead the way.
- 8/15/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Indiewire
From the director of "Treeless Mountain" and "In Between Days," comes "For Ellen," a bleak and moody-looking picture about a fuck-up rocker also trying to negotiate being a father. However, is it far too late? Directed by So Yong Kim and starring Paul Dano, Shaylena Mandigo with appearances by Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Dakota Johnson, and Margarita Levieva, "For Ellen" doesn't exactly look like a great time at the movies, but it does seem to feature a commanding performance by Dano. And perhaps one we've never seen from this young actor. Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, "For Ellen" was met with mixed reviews. Our own review described it as grueling at times, but almost all critics seem to agree that while stark and perhaps a tad depressing, Paul Dano shines in the picture and that alone makes this one to keep an eye on. Here's the official synopsis: Aspiring...
- 8/14/2012
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Following his break-out in L.I.E., Paul Dano hit a larger base with The Girl Next Door and Little Miss Sunshine, but the There Will Be Blood actor has mostly been reserved for supporting roles in blockbusters like Knight and Day and Cowboys & Aliens. This year has seen a new side for him though, as he led Being Flynn, Ruby Sparks and now we have the first trailer for his next upcoming feature, For Ellen.
Directed by So Yong Kim, the film premiered to decent reviews at Sundance, mostly praising our lead’s performance. Judging for the trailer it looks a bit too low-key, drab and spare to throw around much other praise, but it’s nice to see Dano a bit unhinged. Napoleon Dynamite‘s Jon Heder also occupies a supporting role, departing his usual self and taking more of a serious turn. Check it out below and look for...
Directed by So Yong Kim, the film premiered to decent reviews at Sundance, mostly praising our lead’s performance. Judging for the trailer it looks a bit too low-key, drab and spare to throw around much other praise, but it’s nice to see Dano a bit unhinged. Napoleon Dynamite‘s Jon Heder also occupies a supporting role, departing his usual self and taking more of a serious turn. Check it out below and look for...
- 8/14/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Tribeca Film has acquired North American rights to writer/director So Young Kim’s drama For Ellen, which stars Paul Dano as an aspiring rock star trying to reconcile with his young daughter. The cast also includes Margarita Levieva, Jon Heder, Jena Malone and newcomer Shaylena Mandigo. Tribeca Film plans a fall release in select theatrical markets, beginning Sept. 5 at New York’s Film Forum. The movie also will be released via On Demand platforms on a variety of video-on-demand offerings as well as through iTunes, Amazon Watch Instantly, Vudu, Xbox and Samsung Media Hub. The film, which premiered at
read more...
read more...
- 5/1/2012
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In an example of two independent film communities doing well by a specialty movie; director So Yong Kim and star Paul Dano debuted their custody battle drama For Ellen earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival but they landed a distribution deal today with Tribeca Film. Kim also wrote the drama about struggling rocker Joby Taylor (Paul Dano), who plans to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva) until he discovers the legal arrangement will cost him visitation rights with his young daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). “With a subtle, understated approach, esteemed director So Yong Kim has made a film that is both deeply moving and deeply resonant,” said Geoff Gilmmore, Chief Creative Office of Tribeca Enterprises, in a release.
- 5/1/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In an example of two independent film communities doing well by a specialty movie; director So Yong Kim and star Paul Dano debuted their custody battle drama For Ellen earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival but they landed a distribution deal today with Tribeca Film. Kim also wrote the drama about struggling rocker Joby Taylor (Paul Dano), who plans to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva) until he discovers the legal arrangement will cost him visitation rights with his young daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). “With a subtle, understated approach, esteemed director So Yong Kim has made a film that is both deeply moving and deeply resonant,” said Geoff Gilmmore, Chief Creative Office of Tribeca Enterprises, in a release.
- 5/1/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Perennial Sundance figure Paul Dano returns with this low-key character piece in which he plays Joby, a washed-up, marginally successful rocker (and owner of a horrible wispy goatee and numerous pieces of rubbish body art) in the final stages of a less-than-amicable divorce from his estranged wife.
Holed up in a dank motel in the middle of a particularly harsh winter, he’s also battling to gain visitation rights to his six-year-old daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo) although her mother is insistent that, by law, he shouldn’t even be acknowledged as the girl’s father anymore. Joby slides deeper into depression and anguish, and all his ineffective lawyer (Jon Heder) can do is sit and watch him down whisky shots and (in the film’s most indulgent scene) air-guitar along to Whitesnake. Could an afternoon with his daughter (which he spitefully engineers) offer the chance to redeem himself and atone...
Holed up in a dank motel in the middle of a particularly harsh winter, he’s also battling to gain visitation rights to his six-year-old daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo) although her mother is insistent that, by law, he shouldn’t even be acknowledged as the girl’s father anymore. Joby slides deeper into depression and anguish, and all his ineffective lawyer (Jon Heder) can do is sit and watch him down whisky shots and (in the film’s most indulgent scene) air-guitar along to Whitesnake. Could an afternoon with his daughter (which he spitefully engineers) offer the chance to redeem himself and atone...
- 4/27/2012
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Quite a bit of sex, conceptual art and some stylized Bollywood flavour!
Four days into the festival I have yet to be swept off my feet by a film in competition. While Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s Cesare deve morire (Caesar Must Die) is a consistently strong standing film, yet it stays a little too close to the Shakespearean script and in that way sometimes drifts off to the theatrical side a dose too much. During the period of six months the brothers Vittorio accompanied the rehearsals for Shakespeare’s Caesar at maximum-security prison Rebibbia. Without revealing much detail to the back-stories of the inmates the film intertwines play, rehearsal and prison reality and things start to blend. Most impressing was the use of the architecture and space of the prison itself, composing very visual metaphors mainly shot in black and white, with very careful use of color.
-
Definitely...
Four days into the festival I have yet to be swept off my feet by a film in competition. While Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s Cesare deve morire (Caesar Must Die) is a consistently strong standing film, yet it stays a little too close to the Shakespearean script and in that way sometimes drifts off to the theatrical side a dose too much. During the period of six months the brothers Vittorio accompanied the rehearsals for Shakespeare’s Caesar at maximum-security prison Rebibbia. Without revealing much detail to the back-stories of the inmates the film intertwines play, rehearsal and prison reality and things start to blend. Most impressing was the use of the architecture and space of the prison itself, composing very visual metaphors mainly shot in black and white, with very careful use of color.
-
Definitely...
- 2/13/2012
- by Merle Fischer
- SoundOnSight
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.